They burst into a seance over a over in Portsmouth, over a chemists shop
A length of ectoplasm or a suit of cheesecloth
Was grabbed but it got away
The Witchcraft Act 1735 was used to give her 9 month's jail(6)
The vibrations will live on

2. From "Garden" by the Groundhogs: "My garden is overgrown/And the weeds are creeping up on my home." The Fall have covered "Junkman" (which they renamed "Junk Man") and "Strange Town" (renamed, almost predictably, "Strangetown").

3. According to Petula Macabre on the Fall Forum, Fall drummer Mike Leigh says he wrote these lines. Flickering Lexicon (also on the Forum) has suggested that they may refer to Richard III, who was rumored to be a hunchback (a rumor which ahs perhaps been confirmed by the recent exhumation of a body that some claim is that of the dead king).

5. Lyrics Parade: "Helen Duncan: Scottish medium; last person to be charged and found guilty under an old witchcraft statute in 1944; sentenced to nine months imprisonment."

Martin has reproduced the following (wonderful) account from Wikipedia: "During World War II, in November 1941, Duncan held a séance in Portsmouth at which she claimed the spirit materialization of a sailor told her HMS Barham had been sunk. Because the sinking of HMS Barham was revealed, in strict confidence, only to the relatives of casualties, and not announced to the public until late January 1942, the Navy started to take an interest in her activities. Two Lieutenants were among her audience at a séance on 14 January 1944. One of these was a Lieutenant Worth who was not impressed as a white cloth figure had appeared behind the curtains claiming to be his aunt but he had no deceased aunt. In the same sitting another figure appeared claiming to be his sister but Worth replied his sister was alive and well. Worth was disgusted by the séance and reported it to the police. This was followed up on 19 January, when undercover policemen arrested her at another séance as a white-shrouded manifestation appeared. This proved to be Duncan herself, in a white cloth which she attempted to conceal when discovered, and she was arrested."

More Information

Comments (2)

1.Martin | 09/06/2016

It's not in either the notes or any of the comments, probably because it's so obvious, but just in case:

"During World War II, in November 1941, Duncan held a séance in Portsmouth at which she claimed the spirit materialization of a sailor told her HMS Barham had been sunk. Because the sinking of HMS Barham was revealed, in strict confidence, only to the relatives of casualties, and not announced to the public until late January 1942, the Navy started to take an interest in her activities. Two Lieutenants were among her audience at a séance on 14 January 1944. One of these was a Lieutenant Worth who was not impressed as a white cloth figure had appeared behind the curtains claiming to be his aunt but he had no deceased aunt. In the same sitting another figure appeared claiming to be his sister but Worth replied his sister was alive and well. Worth was disgusted by the séance and reported it to the police. This was followed up on 19 January, when undercover policemen arrested her at another séance as a white-shrouded manifestation appeared. This proved to be Duncan herself, in a white cloth which she attempted to conceal when discovered, and she was arrested." (from Wikipedia)

She was indeed sentenced to nine months in prison.

2.bzfgt | 29/06/2016

What is "obvious" about that? That's hilarious that you say that, and the anecdote itself is hilarious, so I am putting it in!